Fitness trackers will lead the wearables industry until 2018, says a new report from Juniper Research, but will segment out into basic trackers and more deluxe products that compete with smart watches.
Through 2018, according to the report “Smart Health & Fitness Wearables: Device Strategies, Trends & Forecasts” the number of fitness trackers being uses will triple to almost 60 million. Basic trackers will essentially be commodities, such as the Xiomi MiBand, at $13; premium and more complex devices like the Fitbit Surge, Microsoft Band, and Samsung Gear Fit, will establish themselves with control and notification functions.
Fitbit will remain on the top of that market, although Juniper sees its failure to integrate with Apple’s HealthKit as hurting its market share. They also look with interest at QOQii, a free device that charges for analytics and recommendations.
Over time, Juniper also sees the increasing adoption of more sophisticated health devices such as heart glucose monitors as more of them reach the market.
A single-user license of the report costs about $1200.
